Editorial Andrew Hurst Beware the unexpected
OK, I changed my mind. At least in part. Ironically the fact that the America’s Cup for the last few cycles has been entirely dependent upon patron- age, with the odd free pair of sunglasses, will indeed nudge the sport further down the road of public interest. Perversely it will do this faster on the back of a new commercial arrangement.
Little has been made in the sailing media of Ineos founder Sir Jim
Ratcliffe’s recent sponsorship buy into the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team. Ratcliffe is of course well known in these pages as the sole backer of Ben Ainslie’s powerful America’s Cup challenge for Auckland 2021. Perversely again, Ratcliffe’s deal with Mercedes Petronas has given his remarkable company ‘title sponsor’ status with the dominant Grand Prix team of the current era. The commercial value of a tie-up like that is hard to guess but,
with global TV audiences counted in billions and the highest-profile driver of modern times (young Lewis) in the team, on track Ineos have every base covered. TV, radio, social media (Lewis Hamilton has around 20 million followers on Twitter/Instathing), plus parch- ment, interworld etc. The most extraordinary thing is that the wizard of private business has achieved his senior sponsor role in an inter- national media orgy for £20million. Title sponsorships in the best F1 teams sometimes run into nine figures rather than Ratcliffe’s more modest eight. Another outstanding deal then for the Ineos chief (read his book by the way, sometimes brutal, always brilliant). But having Ineos prominent on both a top F1 car and one of just
four AC75s at the next Cup offers so many opportunities for cross- promotion, deliberate or organic, that the whole of sailing will enjoy some benefit. Which neatly brings me to the next topic du jour…
Wowza Is it good for us, or not? I have no idea, to be honest. But it certainly is important and offers a bit more cross-fertilisation mainly in the technical sector. Gitana Team have taken their next bold step towards ramping up sailboat performance even further. The current top team on the Ultim circuit, with victories in the
Fastnet (just) and Brest Atlantiques (easy one), has left the class for now – the Collectif Ultim – to concentrate on developing a 3D autopilot system, aka a pilot with integrated flight control. At present outlawed in the Ultim class, automatic flight control was a subject of controversy at the 2013 America’s Cup, prompted by Boeing’s technical relationship with Oracle USA. In fact, Oracle developed a clever system but it still had a man (obvs) on the end of it. Clever, though. Automatic systems remain prohibited in the AC75s. Meanwhile, the 2D pilots used by the top Imoca teams are stag-
geringly clever. They need to be, since, as skippers atest, the boats are too fast and, on foils, too twitchy for a human to deal with as efficiently as a computer-controlled system with multiple gyroscopic inputs. (The Class40 also has a steady influx of these more sophis- ticated/expensive systems, giving class managers cause for concern – the 24-hour record was set without a human touching the helm). Today’s rate of technical advancement in sailing is unprece- dented. This even though with the advent of foiling in the offshore
classes it seemed the biggest steps were behind us. The average speed of a singlehanded pilot-driven foiling Imoca in many conditions exceeds the speeds achieved by super-fast Orma 60 tris a few years back… sailing with a full crew. Imagine what a fully automated flying Ultim could do – potentially
also singlehanded. Imagine too what a fully foiling Imoca with rudder foils could do, as is now being lobbied for by many. The foiling Moths are the best example of what automation can
achieve. An 11ft boat with simple wand-activated flight control that outperforms ‘manual’ foiling cats of twice the size. Then there are the AC75s. They looked questionable on paper,
a ‘stool missing a leg’, as Michel Desjoyeaux described them. But they worked in the computer and to great relief all-round they work in real life (it’s likely that some or all the AC75s started their testing using an automatic height control while the sailing stuff was being sorted out. Automatic systems are not allowed when racing). Amazing technology will lead to amazing increases in offshore per-
formance, particularly in average speeds. As I said, good thing, not sure. But screaming new technology operating at huge scale in a spectacular environment, well, it can’t do the sport any harm, can it? Big sailing sponsors going into F1, rather than the other way
round and for whatever reason. Sailboats outperforming powercraft, splashes and crashes, all inevitably at front page scale. Wowza.
‘ HMMM
Dear Seahorse, we really enjoy your magazine. Was just getting into the February issue since receiving it in Friday night’s mail. Well, apparently the dog enjoyed the issue a bit too much. Is it possible to get a replacement? Cheers, Yvonne Galvez, California
Not fair Italian Admiral’s Cup champion and ORC stalwart Paolo Massarini, who passed away in February, was one of the people who make it happen for the rest of us. A great international sailor who never stopped putting back into the sport, organising regattas, clubs, rating systems, class associations. Inevitably with this wide-ranging shoreside brief he would often find himself in ‘delicate’ political situations, when he was much more than the honest broker, with a kindness and openness that could defuse the worst petulance. Paolo was just far too lovely to embarrass yourself in front of. The perfect Italian, always smiling, laughing, teasing. Lucky to call you a friend. We’ll miss your smile… and restaurant tips. q
Finistère training director
No… apart from one time when we were close enough to make
some conclusions – Luna Rossa’s Max Sirena is asked if he has tested against Ineos in Sardinia, breaching the AC Protocol
BAD BOY Would you take sand-
wiches to a banquet? – David Lloyd George is asked whether he was taking Mrs Lloyd George to the Paris peace conference
SIX MILLION DOLLARS
Rock on, Bruce! – Anarchist David Evans is chuffed for Laser designer Bruce Kirby (PS there might be punitive damages too)
THE PARIS 2024 EFFECT It is getting increasingly ‘difficult’ to welcome foreign racers
– Christian Le Pape, Le Pôle
FOOD FOR THOUGHT If these aren’t banned we’re screwed
(REAL) LIFE’S A DRAG I am not able to
– Tom Eisner is not in favour of upwind wind-mapping devices
arrange any divestment at short notice, but I can arrange for the gas central heating in the college to be switched off
– St John’s College, Oxford bursar Prof Andrew Parker responds to students demanding divestment from oil companies
HE WAS SERIOUS I do all I can, for example I’m wearing the same tux to all this year’s
award ceremonies – Joaquin Phoenix at the Oscars, great actor, but still a twat
Seahorse magazine and our associate raceboatsonly brokerage site are both at:
seahorsemagazine.com The editor is contactable by email at:
andrew@seahorse.co.uk
SEAHORSE 9
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